How Important Is It to Have a WiFi Password?
WiFi is very convenient because it allows you to access the internet from anywhere in your office without being encumbered by wires. However, the fact that WiFi is… well wireless, means that it is also possible for people outside of your workplace to access your connection too.
Is this a problem? Yes, allowing free access to your WiFi connection could potentially be a huge problem for you. If anyone who is close enough – in an adjacent office space, on the street, at the nearby cafe – not only can they use your WiFi connection to surf the internet and maybe check their Facebook page, but they may also be able to:
- Monitor each and every website that you visit, see your passwords and login names, and check your emails
- View your private computer’s files
- Spread a virus throughout your network
- Access illegal content using your IP address
- Send spam or carry out other illegal actions using your connection
I’m sure you can agree that none of those actions would be beneficial in any way, and many of them could get you in hot water and potentially even ruin your business and your reputation. That’s why it is so important that you not only have a WiFi password but that you have a strong WiFi password too.
If you want to make sure that your IT network is as secure as possible, where are some simple things you can do:
Turn on WiFi Protected Access
If you aren’t already using WPA to access your wireless router or WiFi access points, you should be. Wired Equivalent Privacy, which many wireless access points still offer, is extremely easy for hackers to gain access to using a technique like Aircrack-ng. Luckily, you can make things much more difficult for them by using WiFi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2 – which is the most up-to-date version – instead.
Keep it complicated
When it comes to most things in life, keeping it simple is usually the best course of action, but when it comes to your WiFi password, any IT Company in Chicago will tell you that you need to keep it complicated.
It’s obvious really, but if you use a really simple password like petsname123 or workplace567, it’s really easy for hackers to simply guess them and gain unfettered access to your files and network as a result.
What does a complicated (strong) password that is difficult to pass look like? Ideally, it should be a random string of numbers, letters, and characters with no inherent meaning. These kinds of passwords are much trickier to crack, especially when used in conjunction with WiFi Protected Access.
If you’re unsure whether your passwords are strong enough, you can use a tool like CloudCracker to test it out. If CloudCracker and similar services can’t decipher your password, chances are the hackers won’t be able to either!
The bottom line
The bottom line is that strong WiFi passwords protect you, your business, and your data, so if you don’t already have one, you should make it a real priority to change that.
